Linux has a wide variety of distributions with different characteristics that adapt to all the needs that the user may have. These include very small footprint and resource-efficient layouts.
In this category we can find Puppy Linux, a very small and practical distribution designed to start with bootable media and run smoothly on almost any computer.
Puppy Linux becomes particularly useful when we have an old or low-resource computer and we want to give it a second wind. If this is your case, or if you simply want to try this distribution, now we will tell you everything you need to know about it.
When is it convenient to install a distribution as basic as Puppy Linux?
It is generally used to give a second life to an old low-performance computer, since its low demand makes it an ideal distribution for this type of equipment.
With a size of only 130 MB approximately, Puppy Linux can be installed on the hard drive of almost any old computer, as well as any recent computer that is underpowered. In addition to this, Puppy Linux is optimized to boot from a bootable CD / DVD or USB, becoming a portable OS that you can carry in your pocket and start on any computer.
Learn step by step to install Puppy Linux on any computer in the simplest way
The installing Puppy Linux is a simple process and for almost any computer thanks to its low resource consumption.
We will explain one by one the steps required for you to install this small and practical distribution:
Download the ISO file
The first step is get the Puppy Linux ISO file that we will install in our USB or CD.
To do this, you must follow these steps:
-
Login to
puppylinux.com/index.html - Select from the list the latest image files.
- Make sure to consider the compatibility list, which will tell you what packages are available for Puppy Linux.
Create a bootable media
The next thing on the list is to create the tool that we will use to start the distribution on our computer:
- Insert the USB stick on your computer
- Format the removable drive using your computer’s default tool or an external tool such as USB Disk Formatter
- Download from its official page writing tool Balena Etcher, and start it.
- Select USB memory connected to the computer, select the Puppy Linux image file, and press “To write”.
Start from ISO
Once the bootable drive is created, you must restart the computer to check the condition of the distro, and to be able to make the first configurations:
- Restart your computer with the USB inserted.
- Press “F10” or “Del” while i’m rebooting to be able to access the BIOS.
- Select option “Boot Priority Order” to select which unit will start first.
- Choose the option “USB HDD”. This option will select the bootable USB media to start the operating system.
- Once you access the Puppy Linux menu, define initial settings, that is to say: date, time, time zone and language.
- When everything is configured, go to the start menu, click on the option “To turn off” and click on “Restart the computer.”
- Click on “Keep” in the pop-up window.
Start your old computer
Once the bootable drive is prepared and configured, we proceed to install it on the computer that we want to recover:
- Insert the USB on the old computer.
- Start the computer with the new distro of Linux.
- Access the BIOS pressing “F10” if the computer does not start with Puppy Linux.
- Start the computer with previously made configurations.
Select the installation menu
When the computer starts up, the operating system is running through the USB memory, so now we proceed to install the distribution on the hard disk:
- Press the button “Menu” in the bottom corner of the desk.
- Select the section “Setups”.
- Click on the option “Puppy Installer”, which is one of the last options on the menu.
- Click on the option “Universal Installer”.
Select the installation location
When the Puppy Linux installer is activated, a menu will appear with the location options to install this low-power distro:
- Define the hard drive where you want to install Puppy Linux. When you click on one, information about it will appear.
- Select option “HDD” from the options available in the box.
Define the partition
Since the goal is to perform a full installation, it is necessary to define the hard drive partitions that will be used to store the operating system:
- Press the button to open GParted to create the required partitions
- Delete partitions previously existing, if any.
- Press “New” to create a new partition, name it “/” and a minimum space of 1GB. The operating system will be installed there.
- Choose “New” one more time to create the space “home”, to which you will assign a size that you think is convenient depending on the capacity of the hard disk.
- For the last time, create a new partition that you will call Swap with the remaining hard disk space.
- Once all three partitions are created, click on “To accept” to confirm the partitions.
Select the location of the files
When creating the partitions, the next step will be to select where to save the distribution boot file:
- Edit the name from the file folder Puppy Linux.
- Choose The ubication “/” to install.
- Press “To accept”.
Choose the type of installation
Once the name and location have been defined, the installer will give us the option of performing two types of installation:
- “Frugal Installation”, for which no partitions are required, and is done on CD or USB.
- “Installation complete”, for which the previously created partitions will be used.
- Choose “Installation complete” to start the process.
Finalize the settings
Once the files installation process is finished, You just have to follow the instructions of the installer to finalize the last details, after which the system will ask you to restart the computer. When you do, the system will reboot with the Puppy Linux distribution running at full capacity.
These are the lightweight Linux distros that you can use as an alternative to Puppy Linux on any device
We will give you now a list of some of the best resource-efficient distros that you can use as a replacement for Puppy Linux, if necessary.
These distributions share the characteristic of being light, versatile and compatible with any computer:
Slax.org
A modern, portable and lightweight Linux operating system, based on Debian with a system weight of only 250 MB, so it is possible to install it on any computer with few resources or older models. It has all the necessary tools for the performance of a desktop computer and is optimized to work through bootable media.
LinuxLiteOS.com
Is a small and practical distribution of the GNU / Linux family based on Ubuntu and oriented to desktop PC. It stands out for its friendly user interface, easy to understand for users without experience in this free license environment. It is also known for its low consumption of resources, offering all the tools required in a desktop environment. XFCE, in a customizable, light and simple way.
Lubuntu.me
It is a minimalist Linux distribution based on LXDE making it a distro light, fast and reliable, with a clean, understandable and easy-to-use interface. Thanks to its basic interface, its speed and performance is quite decent and it has very low hardware requirements, which makes Lubuntu an ideal operating system for low-power computers.
SliTaz.org
It is a compact distribution that It has by default all the necessary tools to start using the computer as soon as the OS is installed. It also has an application installer to obtain all the types of software that we need within the capabilities of the computer. Its weight once installed does not exceed 100 MB, which makes it a solid option, very useful to install in a bootable medium, and use as your portable desktop.
Fedora Linux
It is one of the most popular Linux distributions for its attractive and intuitive graphical interface, backed by programmers and graphic designers who are part of its vast community. For get It Accede to https://getfedora.org/es/. It has several editions designed for a variety of different purposes, among which we can count Fedora Workstation, Fedora IoT, Fedora Server and Fedora Core OS.